2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA Complaints

WHILE PERFORMING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON OUR 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA GT, I DISCOVERED A RUST HOLE IN THE DRIVERS SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM. THE HOLE IS APPROXIMATELY 1.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER LOCATED ABOUT 4 INCHES INWARD OF BALL JOINT ON THE UPPER PORTION OF THE CONTROL ARM. THE AREA SURROUNDING THE HOLE APPEARED TO BE VERY THIN AND BRITTLE. THE VEHICLE HAD 138000 MILES AT THE TIME THE ISSUE WAS NOTICED. WE HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE AND THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE CONTROL ARM. IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS TOO EARLY IN THE CARS LIFE TO HAVE A MAJOR STRUCTURAL COMPONENT BEGIN TO DETERIORATE DUE TO RUST. OF THE OTHER CARS WE HAVE OWNED, NONE HAVE DISPLAYED SIMILAR RUST TO THIS, EVEN AFTER 10+ YEARS OF USAGE. *TR

WE HAVE A 2002 ELANTRA AND WHENEVER YOU TRY TO FILL THE TANK UP WITH GAS, IT CONSTANTLY STOPS AFTER JUST 25 CENTS OR SO AND THEN YOU KEEP TRYING TO FILL IT UP AND IT STOPS EVERY FEW SECONDS. IT TAKES FOREVER TO PUMP A TANK OR EVEN A HALF A TANK OF GAS. VERY FRUSTRATING TO SAY THE LEAST. *"TR

HI, MY DAUGHTER HAS AN 02 HYUNDAI ELANTRA GLS. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO OUR LOCAL TORRINGTON CT, DEALER WHO PERFORMED "TWO RECALLS" BUT NOT THE ONE NEEDED BECAUSE IT ISN'T SHOWING UP AS A RECALL. MY VIN# IS [XXX]AND THE RECALL I AM LOOKING TO HAVE DONE IS NUMBER 088 WHICH IS LISTED EVERYWHERE FROM MOTOR TREND TO AUTOMOTIVE.COM AS THE EXACT PROBLEM ON MY DAUGHTERS VEHICLE FOR 2001 AND 2002 ELANTRAS. THEY ONLY HAVE RECALL 080125 LISTED WHICH WAS COMPLETED. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM BECAUSE NEITHER AIR BAG WILL WORK. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

ON 08/06/10 WHILE DRIVING MY CAR IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA, I HEARD A LOUD "POP" SOUND COME FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF MY VEHICLE. I IMMEDIATELY LOST CONTROL OF MY CAR, BUT WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT. AT THAT TIME, I DISCOVERED THE FRONT AXLE HAD ACTUALLY BROKEN (PASSENGER SIDE) AND WAS DRAGGING THE GROUND. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT MY CAR FROM (A 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA- I CONTACTED FIRST TEAM AUTO MALL WHERE I HAD BOUGHT IT NEW), AND ADVISED THE SERVICE PERSONNEL OF WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. THEY ADVISED THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LOOK AT MY CAR FOR SEVERAL DAYS, SO I HAD IT TOWED TO ANOTHER REPAIR SHOP. I PAID $632.89 TO REPLACE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM, INCLUDING SWAY BAR/LINK KIT AND RE-ALIGNMENT. ON 09/28/10 I FOUND A LINK ONLINE TO A WEBSITE DETAILING MULTIPLE RECALLS FOR 2002-2003 HYUNDAI ELANTRAS- RECALLS HAD BEEN RECOMMENDED IN SEVERAL AREAS NEAR ME, BUT NOT IN MY PARTICULAR STATE. THE RECALL INVOLVED ROAD SALT CAUSING CORROSION TO THE LOWER CONTROL ARM, WHICH COULD CONTRIBUTE TO BREAKAGE. THE REPAIR SHOP I TOOK MY CAR TO THAT DAY COULD NOT TELL ME HOW THE DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED; THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE. I ALSO NOTICED ON 09/28/10 A RECALL REGARDING LEAKAGE OF BRAKE FLUID; I HAVE HAD TO REFILL THE BRAKE FLUID IN MY CAR TWICE IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS (I HAD NEVER HAD TO DO THIS BEFORE MAY OF THIS YEAR AND I'VE HAD THE CAR SINCE 2002). I AGAIN CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, WHO ADVISED ME THERE ARE NO RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE. OBVIOUSLY, THE PROBLEMS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALLS ARE HAPPENING/HAVE HAPPENED TO MY CAR, AND POSSIBLY OTHER CARS IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA. I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE RE-EVALUATE THE RECALL CRITERIA AND EXPAND THE RECALL TO INCLUDE ANY AND ALL VEHICLES THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE AFFECTED. IF I HAD BEEN ON THE INTERSTATE ON THE DAY MY LOWER CONTROL ARM BROKE, THE DAMAGE WOULD VERY LIKELY HAVE KILLED ME AND ANY OTHER MOTORIST UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE NEAR ME AT THE TIME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA . THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK WILL NOT FILL UP WITH FUEL AND THE FUEL PUMP WILL SHUT OFF AFTER 5 SECONDS OF LESS. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED ABOUT THE FAILURE AND THEY STATED THAT THE VAPOR CANISTER MUST BE CLOGGED WITH GRAVEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT IT MUST BE A DESIGN FLAW. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 33796.

MY 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA ACCELERATED AFTER MAKING A HESITATION AND A VERY LOUD NOISE. I CRASHED INTO A TREE HEAD ON AND HAD MULTIPLE INJURIES. A WITNESS SAID HE HEARD THE LOUD NOISE AND THE CAR TAKE OFF WITH A GREAT AMOUNT OF SPEED. AFTER THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE TOWING YARD, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE ACCELERATOR WAS STILL WIDE OPEN WHEN THEY STARTED THE CAR TO MOVE IT. I CONTACTED HYUNDAI AND FILLED OUT PAPERWORK THEY REQUESTED AND THEY SENT A GENTLEMAN DOWN TO CHECK THE AUTO OVER AND SCAN THE COMPUTER SYSTEM, WITHIN THE MONTH FOLLOWING THE INSPECTION I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM HYUNDAI STATING THE INSPECTION FOUND NO PROBLEMS. I REQUESTED A COPY OF THE REPORT AND WAS DENIED. I CONTACTED AN ATTORNEY AND HYUNDAI ALSO REFUSED TO GIVE HIM THE REPORT STATING "CONFIDENTIALLY PRIVILEGES. I'M THE ONLY OWNER OF THE AUTO AND FEEL THAT HYUNDAI IS HIDING SOMETHING SINCE THEY REFUSE TO TURN OVER THE REPORT. HYUNDAI REPLACED THE MOTOR IN APP.2004 BECAUSE IT BLEW UP AFTER THEY REPAIRED A RECALL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. ON APRIL 9, 2010, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15-20 MPH APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION THE DRIVER'S FRONT TIRE CAME OFF. THE VEHICLE SLID ABOUT 10 FEET THEN STOPPED. THE VEHICLE BLOCKED TRAFFIC IN THE INTERSECTION. HE STATED THAT A POLICE DIRECTED TRAFFIC DURING THAT TIME. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. HE CALLED A TOWING SERVICE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL LETTER AND REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V125000, SUSPENSION FRONT:CONTROL ARM. HE SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT FOR APRIL 12,2010 FOR THE RECALL WORK TO BE PERFORMED BEFORE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE DEALERS POSSESSION FOR THREE MONTHS WHILE WAITING FOR THE PART. AFTER THE RECALL WORK WAS PERFORMED HE HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE. THE CRUISE CONTROL NO LONGER WORKED, AND WATER WAS COMING INTO THE VEHICLE UNDER THE FLOOR MAT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 112,000. UPDATED 12/22/10 *BF UPDATED 12/29/10

2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAS FAULTY LOWER CONTROL ARMS *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE LOWER CONTROL ARM FAILED TWICE. THE CONSUMER BECAME OF AWARE OF RECALL AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE LOWER CONTROL ARM FREE OF CHARGE THE SECOND TIME. THE FIRST TIME, THE CONSUMER WENT TO A REPAIR SHOP AND PAID AT HIS EXPENSE. THE CONSUMER WAS ALSO INFORMED THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON, ALL FOUR STRUTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL AS THE RIMS AND TIRES. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER HAVING THE AIR BAGS FRONTAL, SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE (08V53300) REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL THE AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT SINCE THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED THEY ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE FOR FREE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE AIR BAG COULD DEPLOY WHILE DRIVING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE AS SHE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE FROM A TRAFFIC STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE LOWER A FRAME ASSEMBLY WAS DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE FRAME WAS REPLACED AT THE CONTACTS EXPENSE. LATER, SHE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V125000 (SUSPENSION: FRONT: CONTROL ARM) AND CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER TO ADVISE THE RECALL REMEDY WAS PERFORMED AT HER EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED SHE WOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THE REPAIR BUT WOULD NEED TO SUBMIT ALL RECEIPTS AND TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR VERIFICATION INSPECTION. THE DEALER ADVISED THE FRONT SUB FRAME WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT ADVISED THE FRAME WAS ALREADY REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS NOT REIMBURSED FOR THE REPAIR. NO FURTHER REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 48,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 52,000.